Golden Russet

Golden Russet.

English Golden Russet. English Golden. Russet Golden.

This is an old English Apple described by Ronalds and Lindley as Golden Russet, and as that is its commonly accepted name in this country we have followed it. It is one of the popular Apples, succeeding in nearly all sections, and especially in rich Western soils. The tree is thrifty, vigorous, spreading, rather irregular, forming a bushy head. Young shoots slender, dull reddish brown, slightly downy, with numerous small white dots. An early bearer.

Fruit medium or below, roundish, or roundish oblate. Skin rough. Color yellow, mostly covered with dull russet, and having a bronzed cheek in the sun. Stalk short, small. Cavity medium, or rather deep. Calyx closed. Segments rather long, often a little recurved. Basin broad, rather large, slightly corrugated. Flesh whitish yellow, fine-grained, rather compact, sprightly, mild subacid. Good to very good. December to March.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

GOLDEN RUSSET.

REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1845:132. 2. Thomas, 1849:179. 3. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:96. 1851. 4. Elliott, 1858:131. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 6. Warder, 1867:624. 7. Thompson, Mich. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1871:30-34. 8. Waring, Ib., 1871:41. 9. Downing, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1875:36. 10. Downing, 1876:196, 54 app. 11. Barry, 1883:346. 12. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238, 240. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:90. 15. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:42. 1903. 16. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:122. 1904.

SYNONYMS. ENGLISH GOLDEN (6). English Golden (10). ENGLISH GOLDEN RUSSET (1, 2, 4, 13). English Golden Russet (10, 14). GOLDEN RUSSET OF N. Y. (3, 5, 10). Golden Russet of N. Y. (2, 4). GOLDEN RUSSET OF WESTERN N. Y. (10, 11). Russet Golden (6, 10).

Among the russets which are grown in Central and Western New York the Golden Russet ranks second only to Roxbury in commercial importance. In other portions of the state it has been less extensively planted. In recent years the season of good red winter apples has been extended by means of cold storage with the result that long keeping russet apples are less profitable than they were formerly. This is undoubtedly one reason why Golden Russet is now grown less extensively than it formerly was. It is an excellent storage variety, sells well in the general market and is particularly in demand for shipment to Northwestern and Southern markets and for export. The fruit is not large but is pretty smooth and uniform. When grown in favorable locations and properly treated for the control of injurious insects and diseases there is comparatively little loss from culls. The fruit hangs well to the tree till loosened by frost. It is borne on the ends of the branches making it hard to pick. This habit and the smallness of the fruit make the picking and packing comparatively expensive.

The fruit is particularly desirable for home use during the spring months before small fruits ripen, being then excellent for dessert and culinary uses. It makes good evaporated stock and is excellent for cider and stock food. The tree is hardy. In favorable locations it is a reliable cropper, bearing regularly after it reaches maturity. It is usually classed as a biennial bearer, but in some cases it is nearly an annual bearer.

The notable points of distinction between this variety and the English Russet are set forth in the description of English Russet.

Thompson compares these two varieties with each other and with the Roxbury Russet in an excellent article presented to the Michigan Horticultural Society in 1870 (7).

Historical. Downing calls this identical with the old English variety described by Ronalds and Lindley as Golden Russet (9). It has sometimes been catalogued under the name English Golden Russet and has been confused with the English Russet, a distinct variety. It has also been called Golden Russet of New York or of Western New York in distinction from the Golden Russet of Massachusetts, or Hunt Russet, and from the various other apples which have been disseminated under the name Golden Russet.

TREE.

Tree varies from medium to large and from moderately vigorous to vigorous; branches long, moderately stout, with rather long, slender laterals which after bearing heavily become rather drooping, but the young growth is more upright. Form upright roundish becoming rather spreading, rather dense. Twigs erect, rather slender to moderately stout, often with large, blunt terminal bud; internodes short. Bark on the younger branches smooth, yellowish or olive; on the new growth olive-green or rather dull reddish-brown lightly mottled with grayish scarf-skin; pubescent toward the tips. Lenticels conspicuous, becoming more so on the two-year-old wood, of a clear pale color, quite numerous, seldom large, usually below medium, roundish, sometimes raised. "It is distinguished among other russets by its peculiar, light colored, speckled shoots" (10). Buds medium in size or below, deeply set, free, obtuse, pubescent.

It develops but a moderately strong root system in the nursery.

FRUIT.

Fruit below medium to above. Form roundish, varying from a little oblate to somewhat conic, sometimes rather elliptical, sometimes obscurely angular, usually smooth; uniform in shape and size. Stem short to very short, rather stout, not often exserted. Cavity wide to medium, medium in depth to rather deep, somewhat acuminate to acute, usually not furrowed, often deep green with numerous paler green or grayish dots. Calyx usually rather large to medium, closed or sometimes partly open; lobes long, rather acute, often reflexed, sometimes separated at the base. Basin sometimes oblique or irregular, often saucer-shaped, round, rather abrupt, rather shallow to moderately deep, sometimes plaited or slightly ribbed.

Skin thick, moderately tender, sometimes only partly covered with patches and flecks of russet but more often almost entirely covered with green or yellowish russet, in highly colored specimens becoming golden russet with bronze cheek. Dots grayish or russet, rather inconspicuous on the smooth skin but on the russet skin often clear pale gray and conspicuously scattered over the base. Often decidedly attractive for a russet apple.

Calyx tube rather short, wide, conical or sometimes funnel-form. Stamens basal or nearly so.

Core medium to below, distinctly abaxile, or, at least, having a rather wide hollow cylinder for the axis; cells often unsymmetrical, usually open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels broadly ovate, elongated, sometimes tufted, but slightly emarginate if at all. Seeds rather light brown with decided red tone, medium to small, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes tufted.

Flesh yellowish, rather fine-grained, moderately crisp, tender, juicy, rich, agreeably subacid, aromatic, very good.

Season December to April or later.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Golden Russet................ M | rob | yru | VG | b | W | 13* | 7* | 1*

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)